


Heart Hunter

by Ungnyeo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternative Universe - Hybrids, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bird/Human Hybrids, Deer Hybrid Reader, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff, Hybrid Oh Sehun, Hybrids, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Peacock hybrid Sehun, Peregrine Falcon Hybrid Minseok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-11-13 20:32:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18038504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ungnyeo/pseuds/Ungnyeo
Summary: The government has officially outlawed prey hybrids, leaving your herd with no choice but to escape into the depths of the forest. Since none of you have been outside of the city before, you soon find yourselves struggling - until you start finding food waiting on your porch every morning. But where is it coming from?





	1. Chapter 1

The newscaster is explaining in great detail what the newest proposal from the President means without a shred of shock or sympathy painting his stoic expression. All breeding of prey hybrids were to cease immediately. The government had been pushing more and more against hybrids, using claims of massive overpopulation and crime rates to scare the human community. After years of debating over what to do, they’d apparently settled on announcing that prey hybrids were considered  _unnecessary_.  

You suppose it makes a twisted sort of sense. Wolves, bears, and big cats make up the bulk of the military and police forces. Even the domestic dog and cat breeds would be safe, as most of the people in power had one as a companion. Rabbits would most likely continue to be bred for black markets, considering that they were used for exactly what you would think they were, poor bunnies. However, deer and rodents, most birds and even more like them would die out. 

You shut the massive tv off and throw the remote across the elaborately decorated room, shivering in both anger and fear because unfortunately for you and your family, you were prey.

Deer hybrids were bred for their gentle grace and beauty, making them ideal as dancers and other various forms of entertainment roles such as modeling or acting. Your own family had been with your owner’s for several generations, bred and trained exclusively for ballet. Hybrids were never allowed to become principals - due to the damage that would have on the human ego - but Madame’s family had still produced the finest soloists in history. You were soon to follow in your parent’s footsteps, as Madame had been hinting that your days as one of the coryphées were nearly over. 

You knew that you had it better than many hybrids. Your owner and your mother had grown up side by side and Madame spoiled her, even going so far as to buy your father from his owner once the two had fallen in love. Such generosity was unheard of for their kind, as does were usually mated with bucks of good breeding for staggering amounts of money regardless of feelings. Lucky for your mother she had fallen for someone that came from decent enough stock for the elite snobs to overlook, and he was an exceptional dancer. The two were as madly in love as ever and were the best of parents to you and your brother. You were always grateful that you knew when the time came Madame would do no less for you. However, it didn’t matter now, as you were apparently doomed to remain unmated and childless under the new law. Madame’s legacy of producing the finest dancers in the country would be no more. 

You sigh morosely and walk to the kitchen to finish preparing your simple meal. Your parents and Madame were still at the studio and you had told the cook that you would be fine on your own. You weren’t sure where your brother was, but Luhan had been disappearing quite a lot recently, so you weren’t too concerned. Since it was only you eating you were only going to make something small. You weren’t that hungry anyway, considering how upset you were, so you settled on a tray of fruits and veggies. You couldn’t cook, but you could handle taking things from containers and placing them on a tray, at least. 

As you nibbled on some veggie sticks you contemplated your new fate. Your mother had always told you that you had a romantic soul, and you’d never bothered to argue because you knew it was true. You had grown up surrounded by dancing and music that were tales of grand love and had your own parent’s still strong relationship to back it all up. You had always planned on having a loving family just like them and had wondered what your future mate would be like. No doubt they would be a deer hybrid like you, perhaps even another dancer. Then you could dance together in the living room like Mama and Papa did all the time. 

Except all of your daydreams of love and happiness were floating away like wisps in the wind. No mate. No fawns of your own. Just a bleak future of dancing until your body fails you and you become worthless. Worthless to Madame and worthless to the world. 

You had been so lost in your melancholy thoughts that you hadn’t heard anyone come home until suddenly you heard Madame screaming for you, your parent’s voices soon doing the same. You get up and follow the sounds into the living room where the three of them are frantically grabbing suitcases from the hall closet. All of them look harried and wild-eyed, your father’s face stony while both Mama and Madame were crying. 

Mama saw you first, crying out as she rushed to you and held you in a crushing grip. “Oh, my baby! You’re okay.” 

“What’s going on?” You ask as you awkwardly pat Mama’s back. 

Papa was nearly growling, a strange sound that you’d never heard him make before. “It’s your brother. They took him. They took my damn boy.” 

“I’ll do everything to get him back, I promise you.” Madame sniffled, bringing a lacy handkerchief to her eyes before she gazed at you with heartbreak in her eyes. 

“They aren’t just banning breeding of prey hybrids, they are  _eliminating_ them. I’ve been hearing rumors for weeks about hybrids going missing, but I never would have suspected this.” Tears continue to fall down Madame’s face as she pulls your sobbing mother into her arms. 

“Hybrids are being taken to a military facility where they are either killed outright or used in whatever sick way they want to. A peacock hybrid came to me a little while ago. He and Luhan were picked up earlier today. Luhan helped him escape but wasn’t able to get away himself. He told the peacock to come straight here and warn us that they know about the rest of you and are coming for you next. We need to get you away.” 

“Away? We can’t just leave Luhan!” You push away the shock and disgust over what’s happening in favor of concern for your brother. 

“There’s nothing you can do. I, however, still have plenty of connections and money. I will abuse them all to get my sweet Lulu out of there. Meanwhile, I still have Pépère’s cabin that I never use. I don’t even think it’s listed anywhere, so there should be no way for anyone to find you. It’s a bit rustic, but I have faith in you, my dears. I will do all I can and come for you when it’s safe,” Madame pushes Mama and Papa towards the stairs as you follow behind. 

“Go and pack, ma bichette. Only one suitcase, so take your most treasured and essential items. We must leave as quickly as possible.” She pushes you up the stairs as well, patting your cheek lightly before heading towards the kitchen. “I will put together some food. Goodness, I don’t even know what sort of things we have in the pantry.” 

Disbelief and horror have you shaking as you walk to your room and find a single suitcase waiting for you on your bed. You take in the elaborately decorated room, realizing that it might be the last time you ever saw it. Madame had been so thrilled when they’d learned your mother was having a girl and it showed in the room that was fit for a princess. Or a ballerina, of course. 

Your canopied bed was massive and covered in ruffled pink and gold silk. The color scheme continued throughout the entire room - from the pink and gold vanity covered in products to the lush carpets on the marble floor. One of your walls even had a full mirror and barre so you could practice in privacy. There were trophies and ribbons from your various competitions, signed posters from shows you’ve seen, and pictures of friends and family everywhere. You’ve been in this room since the day you were born and now you had to fit a lifetime of memories into a single suitcase. 

Tears fell as you slowly pack your suitcase. You wept for your family. For your poor brother who hopefully wasn’t suffering too much. For Mama and Papa. For Madame. For the little girl that had grown up in this room whose dreams and hopes for her future were dead.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been at least an hour since you’d last seen a street light - the road ahead being illuminated by the light of the moon and the soft flash of headlights instead. The roads were getting rougher and the greenery more abundant the further you drove away from home, as Madame had insisted that hiding away in some remote family cabin in the wilderness was your best chance of survival. 

You’d been bundled together in the SUV like sardines for hours; Papa and Madame’s bodyguard Marceau (who you were pretty sure was  _more_ than just a bodyguard) were in front, Madame and Mama behind them, and you were in the back next to the peacock hybrid Oh Sehun that Madame had insisted on saving. 

Sehun was alright, alright it was obvious that he was raised to believe very highly of himself. He often spoke of his owner like his word was law, and most of it was about how wonderful he thought Sehun was. It was apparent that he missed his owner, but you personally thought he sounded as stuck up as Sehun acted. You weren’t sure how he was friends with Luhan, because while Lu tended to act tough sometimes, he was never a snob. But evidently, they’d been friends for a while, having met during a modeling gig, and were hanging out together when they’d been caught. Regardless of his current attitude, you were willing to take the hybrid along since he’d basically saved you and your parents. 

 His hair feathers were stark white, which he claimed were rare, although you weren’t so certain about that. He also claimed that his unnaturally complex scent was a medical enhancement that his owner had paid dearly for, and your “basic” cinnamon scent was mingling with it and ruining it. He  _was_ handsome, you’d give him that, but it was more the way he held himself rather than his appearance that made you a little wary of him. He tended to sneer at everything like it was below him, despite the fact that your breeding and talent technically made you superior. You weren’t one to throw status around though, so you simply let him complain to his heart’s content. You hoped it was merely his way of dealing with the situation and not the total sum of his personality. 

Marceau had only allowed everyone to stop once, finally giving into bathroom demands when they came across a Walmart several hours away from home. While there, they took the chance to buy cleaning supplies, a few more food items, and some camping supplies just in case. Marceau also made you all ditch your cell phones and purchased a single burner phone for emergencies only. Losing the internet didn’t upset you as much as losing the entire music catalog you had on your phone, so you made do with buying an old school boombox and tons of batteries. The CD selection wasn’t great, but you found a couple of workable classical mixes that you could use to keep up with your training, and a couple more just for fun. 

Madame was also very generous with Sehun and bought him clothes and personal supplies since he’d had to escape with nothing. Surprisingly, he was very polite with her and he genuinely thanked her. Perhaps he wasn’t all bad, just scared. His mood seemed to mellow out a bit after that, even going so far as initiating conversation with you for the rest of the trip. 

After what had felt like an eternity, the car pulled in front of a massive gate just as the sun was beginning to rise, and Marceau got out to swing it open for Papa, then closed it and jumped back into the car. Papa had to drive slowly, as the road was made of dirt and gravel. You were observing the surroundings worriedly, as you saw no sign of civilization anywhere. The last town you could remember seeing was at least four hours away. How were you all going to survive out here? 

At last, you arrived in front of the cabin and your stomach drops. The place looked sturdy enough; no holes or broken steps or windows. And it was very large, with two stories and a few other buildings scattered around that could be garages or workshops. However, it was apparent that it hadn’t been used in  _many_ years. The windows were covered in thick layers of grime, the porch and grounds were littered with leaves, sticks, and other debris. You were already scared to see what it looked like inside. 

“Oh my. I’d forgotten how long it’s been since anyone has been here. Probably since I was a little girl at least,” Madame sighs glumly. 

 _Great_ , so you were looking at nearly fifty years of damage. 

Papa stops the car and everyone unloads, all wearing matching expressions of trepidation. Even the usually unflappable bodyguard looks worried, enough that he gestures for everyone to follow behind him as he leads everyone inside. 

The ancient door creaks as he swings it open slowly, a gust of wind sending the various debris inside scattering. The inside wasn’t as horrible as it probably could have been. All the windows and doors had remained shut, so it appeared as though no animals or squatters had attempted to live here, besides the cobwebs you could see in various corners. All the furniture was covered in drop cloths to protect it from dust, so you looked forward to seeing if any of it was still hardy enough for use. Thankfully, the whole place just looked like it needed some major dusting and sweeping and it would be alright. 

However, as you looked closer you realized nothing here is electric. There are oil lamps on the end tables and a huge fireplace that seems to be the only source of lighting. You wander into the kitchen, bracing yourself for what you’re about to see. Sure enough, there is a wood stove and a sink with a hand pump. You could tell that everything here was probably the best that money could buy at the time, but still,  _no_ electricity? 

Madame eventually enters the kitchen, meeting your gobsmacked expression with a grimace. 

“I know, it’s simply primitive, isn’t it? They had this built as a vacation cabin for my grandparents and their friends; a place to escape the trials of everyday living and pretend they were manly men that could chop wood and the like. I don’t recall Mémère ever coming here, though. She was probably more than happy to stay in the city and send the kids along.” 

You slide into an uncovered dining room chair, uncaring of the dust. None of you could live like this. There was no city to run to for food, no hospital nearby in case someone got hurt. You didn’t know how to do anything, and Mama was such a frail soul. It would be so hard for her. Would it be kinder to just let the government do what they wanted rather than waste away in the woods slowly? 

“I know, ma bichette.” Madame sniffled and pet your hair tenderly.  “This is going to be such a trial for you all, but I don’t know what else to do to keep you alive. Marceau will be back in a week with more supplies since I’m sure I’ll be under watch until they move on to another family. I’ll try to come out myself whenever I think I can safely get away. You have to be strong, my darling. Protect your Mama and help your Papa. I will try my best to get Luhan to you.” 

You grasp Madame’s hand and kiss the back of it as the two of you try to contain your tears. Though she was technically your owner, she was as dear to you as the rest of your family and you’d never been separated from her before. Your entire life until this point had been spent training to make her proud, and now you had no idea what to do with yourself. 

“Please, stay safe,” you whisper, voice cracking with emotion. 

Madame smiles with watery eyes and helps you stand, pulling you into a familiar perfumed hug. You close your eyes and breathe in, trying to memorize the feeling in case the worst should happen. 

“I will, ma bichette. You make sure to do the same. Now,” she clears her throat and pulls away, taking her lace handkerchief out to flutter it around like the drama queen she really was. “Marceau will have brought in the supplies and luggage by now. I wish I could stay and help you put the place together, but I have a meeting with a friend that could help me get into the compound tomorrow and I must get back. The sooner I get to work, the sooner I can free your brother. My poor darling Lulu is probably so scared.” 

She pets your head one last time then goes to the entryway with you following behind her. Your parents are already there waiting, suitcases and bags of supplies stacked nearby. Papa was deep in discussion with Marceau but paused long enough to accept Madame’s light hug before she turned to your weeping mother. The two women clung to each other tightly, whispering and wiping each other’s tears. You didn’t think the two had been separated for very long before. Perhaps your parent’s honeymoon was the longest and that had only been a couple of weeks. Finally, Marceau had to separate the two of them and looped his arm with Madame’s as he led her away while she dramatically kissed the air towards all of you. 

“Take care, my loves, and be careful. Remember to use the phone if you need us to come at any time. Sehun, I’ll get in touch with your owner tomorrow. If it’s safe I’ll let him know where you are and we’ll see what he wants to do, but for now I know you’ll be safest here. À la prochaine, my darlings!” 

You follow them outside, waving until the car is out of sight, feeling as though she’d taken your soul along with her, leaving you the empty shell that now had to fight just to survive. 

You sigh, feeling as though the weight of the world had just been settled onto your shoulders. You adored your parents, but you knew they were going to be even worse at this whole rough living thing than you were, having been pampered for twice the amount that you had been. You knew Mama had never had to lift a finger for anything that wasn’t Ballet. You were going to have to be strong for everyone and try to figure out a way to keep you all going out here. At least the view was pretty, you decided as you surveyed your surroundings. 

The “cabin” was basically set in the middle of a vast forest area, huge trees surround you as far as you could see. You didn’t know enough about greenery to tell what kind they were. Pine maybe, judging by the cone looking things on the ground. Marceau had mentioned a map earlier and had said that there was a creek nearby. That was probably where you were going to have to get water since it didn’t seem like there was plumbing here either, or even a well. 

You spot what appears to be a massive blackberry bush on the other side of the yard and decide to distract yourself by gathering some. It would be a nice treat to have and Mama loved berries. You rush inside and pick out one of the mixing bowls that had been packed, deciding it would do for now to hold the berries. Your parents are already at work lifting the drop cloths from the surprisingly pretty furniture, all of it in sort of a rustic art deco vibe and obviously well made. Nothing looked damaged, so you’d all at least have places to sit. The bedrooms were what you were worried about the most, but you’d save that for later. 

You whistle a little as you head towards the bush, hoping that if you force yourself to pretend you’re okay, your brain will start to believe it. The bowl is about halfway full, minus a few that had found their way past your berry-stained lips, when you suddenly heard something. A soft crackle, like someone had stepped on a twig. However, instead of coming from the area behind you where the house was, it was coming from across the bush. 

You clamp your lips and breathe through your nose, trying to scent the area. You could smell dampness from the nearby creek, the squirrels in the tree to your right, and something else… _there_. 

Predator.

Your gaze pierces the spot where the scent filters through, a little crack in the berry bush a little further down. You freeze as a pair of sharp, catlike eyes fill the space, meeting yours with a curious glint. They appeared to belong to a male, judging by the bits of his face you could make out, though it wasn’t much. Those eyes reminded you of the gaudy ring Madame always wears, a massive thing with a jewel the color of caramel. The man’s eyes were the same color and reflected light like the gemstone, holding an insurmountable depth that dared to drown anyone that met his intense gaze. 

The two of you stared, unmoving, just studying each other. You wished you could see the rest of him; surely with eyes like that, he must be stunning. Nevermind that he smelled like a predator; a bird at that. There was also a slight undertone that smelled almost like fresh coffee beans which you guess was his personal scent. He must have noticed you scenting the air because his eyes crinkled like he was holding back laughter while his scent became stronger, no doubt from him pumping out more to see your reaction. Your scents seemed to mingle all on their own, complementing each other and making your head swim, which was curious for different hybrid types. It was odd to find another hybrid out here no matter what he was. You’d thought your herd was going to be the only ones, at least in this area. You were sure other prey hybrids would run away to the wild eventually. 

Behind you, the front door slammed and startled you as Sehun came out and began yelling.

“ _Hey_ , your Mom wants you. Something about water.” 

You glance towards him, annoyed at the interruption. 

“Yeah, I’m coming. Just hold on.” 

You huff and turn back towards the bush, but the eyes are gone and you can smell his scent getting farther away. You debated telling your parents about his existence, but you hadn’t sensed a threat from him, just curiosity. You waited until the last note of his scent became too faint to smell anymore, swallowing your disappointment as you strode towards the house. 

Though the coming days were going to be difficult, at least now you knew you weren’t alone. 

**Author's Note:**

> I had planned on this just being a one-shot, but it got really long and complicated, so now it’s becoming a series! I’ve already got most of it written and now I’m just working on breaking them up in appropriate chapters and adding bits here and there. PLEASE let me know what you think, what theories you have, or any ideas for future fics! I love to hear from you guys and I really really hope you like this one!


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